The SCR Advantage: Preparing Risk Professionals for Climate Risk in the Age of Technological and Geopolitical Change

William (Bill) May is the Managing Director of Global Head of Certifications and Educational Programs at GARP, and is responsible for the FRM, SCR, and other risk-relevant educational programs. Prior to joining GARP, William had over 20 years of market experience including serving as a Senior Director in Fitch Ratings’ credit market research group and as a Senior Research Officer at UBS Wealth Management. He has worked for several buy-side and sell-side firms including Bank of America and Federated Investors as well as specialty firms like Andrew Kalotay Associates and Law and Economic Consulting Group. He began his career in the research function of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and has worked on the Open Market Trading Desk and as a bank examiner. William holds a BS in applied mathematics and economics from Stony Brook University; an MBA, MA in economics, and Advanced Certificate in financial econometrics and data analysis from Fordham University; an MS in financial engineering from the NYU Tandon School of Engineering, an MS in applied statistics and an EdM in measurement and evaluation from Columbia University’s Teachers College where he is currently pursuing an MS in neuroscience and education.

Slobodan Rakić is the Sustainability & Climate Risk (SCR) Program Manager at the Global Association of Risk Professionals (GARP), where he has been part of the SCR team for over five years. He brings over a decade of experience in sustainable finance, climate risk, and program development.

Prior to GARP, he served as an Assistant Professor at Educons University in Serbia, where he lectured undergraduate and graduate courses in finance and banking. He also led the university’s international relations office, fostering global academic partnerships and collaborative initiatives. As Secretary General of the Alliance of Central-Eastern European Universities (ACEU), he coordinated joint research programs and sustainability-focused conferences across the region. Slobodan has authored academic and professional publications within the sustainable and green finance field. Additionally, he has spoken at international conferences and contributed to collaborative research projects on sustainable development and finance.